Rajasthan Faces Grid Bottleneck Amid Solar Boom
India’s leading solar power state, Rajasthan, is facing a major infrastructure bottleneck, with around 60 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy projects awaiting transmission connectivity. The issue highlights a key challenge in India’s push to scale up non-fossil fuel capacity to 500 GW by 2030, as grid expansion struggles to keep pace with rapid growth in solar installations.
According to regulatory filings, the Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd (CTUIL) has received applications for about 130 GW of grid connectivity in Rajasthan but has planned or is developing transmission systems for only around 73 GW. The majority of renewable projects are concentrated in districts like Barmer, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, and Jodhpur, where infrastructure constraints are becoming increasingly evident.
The problem has already impacted developers, with regulators allowing companies to withdraw connectivity applications and recover guarantees due to delays. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has also directed planners to inform applicants about transmission challenges, underlining the urgency of addressing grid limitations to sustain India’s clean energy expansion.
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